the black podcast listener report 2021

The Black Podcast Listener Report 2021

• 2,500+ online interviews of Black/African-American adults age 18+ in the U.S.

• Conducted in August 2021• Data weighted to match age/sex/census region of U.S. Black

population and Infinite Dial 2021 podcast listening statistics

Podcast Market Statistics

75 7677 77

U.S. Total Population 18+ U.S. Black Population 18+

2020 2021

Familiar with term “Podcasting”% ever heard of podcasting

Source: The Infinite Dial 2021

Listened to a podcast in the last month:% saying yes

37 3440

36


2020 2021Source: The Infinite Dial 2021

Listened to a podcast in the last week:% saying yes

2417

28 26



Listened to a podcast in the last week:% saying yes

2417

28 26



+53%+17%

Black Monthly Podcast Listeners(36% of Black Americans)

Composition of Black Monthly Podcast ListenersGender and Age

18-3449%

35-5437%

55+14%

Men44%

Women56%

Composition of Black Monthly Podcast ListenersEmployment

38

1116

5 5

17

53

12 135 6 7

Employedfull-time

Employedpart-time

Temporarilyunemployed

Student Homemaker Retired

U.S. Black Population Black Monthly Podcast Listeners

Composition of Black Monthly Podcast ListenersEducation

3830

22

8

3429 28

8

High school or less Some college Four-year college degree Advanced degree or higher


Composition of Black Monthly Podcast ListenersSelf-employed

Self-employed13%

Self-employed20%


Podcast Listening

How long have Black monthly podcast listeners been listening to podcasts?

12

10

15

17

15

20

29

28

30

20

22

18

22

25

17

Total

Women

Men

Five years or more

Three to five years

One to three years

Six months to one year

Less than six months

Base: Black Monthly Podcast Listeners

How Black monthly podcast listeners first discovered podcasts% saying source

31

17

12

11

9

8

7

4

Saw it on social media

Recommendations from friends/family

Discovered the podcasts app on your phone

Saw or heard about it on TV

Read or heard about it in an article

Heard about it on public radio

Recommendations or ads on AM/FM radio stations

Other


What attracted Black monthly podcast listeners to the first podcast they listened to% saying element

46

26

25

3

Topic you're interested in

TV or movie celebrity you like

Host of a radio show you like

Something else


Compared to a year ago, Black monthly podcast listeners are listening to podcasts…

57

53

62

32

32

31

11

15

7

Total

Women

Men

MoreSame

amount Less


Total time Black weekly podcasts listeners spent listening to podcasts in the last week

13

11

15

22

19

25

23

25

23

42

45

37

Total

Women

Men

Ten hours or more Five to ten hours Three to five hours Less than three hours

Meanhours

5.2

4.7

5.7

Base: Black Weekly Podcast Listeners

65% of Black monthly podcast listeners use a mobile device most often to listen to podcasts

Locations where Black monthly podcast listeners listen to podcasts% ever listening to podcasts in location

92

68

61

46

45

42

At home

In a car/truck

While walking around/on foot

While riding public transportation

At work

At a gym/while working out


At home71%

In car/truck10%

At work9%

Someplace else10%

Location where Black monthly podcast listeners listen to podcasts most often


Among listeners who listen at home, how many listen at home while spending time with family and friends?

47% 23%Source: Black Podcast Listener Report 2021 Source: Podcast Consumer Tracking Report 2021 Q2

Black weeklypodcast listeners:

U.S. total weekly podcast listeners:

Do you ever listen to podcasts that have…?% ever listening to podcast type

75

75

59

Audio only without any video

Video that you activelywatch while listening

Podcasts with a video component

Video that you play in the background or minimize on your device while listening


of Black monthly podcast listeners ever listen to podcasts with a video component

83%

40

32

32

23

19

It’s easier to pay attention

It's easier to listen to or watch with other people

You can read comments posted by other listeners onthe services you use to listen to podcasts with video

A podcast you listen to is only available with video

A service you use to listen to podcasts only has podcasts with video

Reasons why Black monthly podcast listeners listen to podcasts that have video% saying reason

Base: Black Monthly Podcast Listeners who listen to podcasts with video

42

34

23

17

The podcasts you listen to post short clips on theservices you use to listen to podcasts with video

It’s easier to listen to or watch podcasts on YouTube than on other platforms

You want to make the most of your YouTube Premium account

Reasons why Black monthly podcast listeners listen to podcasts that have video% saying reason

Base: Black Monthly Podcast Listeners who listen to podcasts with video and ever listen to podcasts on YouTube

You use YouTube to listen to or watch other types of content, so you also use it to listen to podcasts

73

73

72

70

68

To learn new things

To be entertained

To relax

Reasons why Black monthly podcast listeners listen to podcasts% saying “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree”

To dive deeper into topics you're interested in

To hear unique perspectives on topics not covered in other media


Page 1 of 2

66

65

62

59

42

To stay up-to-date with the latest topics

To feel inspired

To escape

Companionship

Reasons why Black monthly podcast listeners listen to podcasts% saying “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree”

To hear opinions and perspectives of people who look and sound like you


Page 2 of 2

Podcast topics Black weeklypodcast listeners ever listen to% ever listen to topic on a podcast

48

43

31

27

27

27

26

26

25

24

22

22

21

21

Comedy

Music

Health and Fitness

Sports

True Crime

TV & Movies

Business/Entrepreneurship

Education

Politics

Pop Culture

Games/Hobbies

Racial/Cultural Identity

Society and Culture

Technology

Page 1 of 2



20

20

19

18

16

15

14

14

14

13

13

12

11

9

History

Religion and Spirituality

U.S. National News

Arts

Personal development

Kids & Family

Anime

Video Gaming/E-Sports

Travel

Fiction

Science

International News

Climate

Language


Page 2 of 2


46

46

35

14

33

27

23

28

23

51

40

27

41

20

21

30

24

28

Comedy

Music

Health and Fitness

Sports

True Crime

TV & Movies

Business/Entrepreneurship

Education

Politics

Women

Men

Page 1 of 3


24%48% Comedy podcasts 36%

Black weeklypodcast listeners:

U.S. total weekly podcast listeners:

43%

20% 25%Music podcasts

History podcastsSource: Black Podcast Listener Report 2021 Source: Podcast Consumer

Tracking Report 2021 Q2

% who listen to

% who listen to

% who listen to

66

65

63

58

50

26

20

27

13

15

Business/Economy

History

True crime

Fiction

Kids & Family

% interested in listening if primarilyincluded Black stories and perspectives

% ever listen to topic

Podcast topics Black weekly podcast listeners would be interested in if they primarily included Black stories and perspectives vs topics ever listen to on podcasts


63

60

51

How important is it to Black monthly podcast listeners that podcasts…?% saying “very important” or “somewhat important”

Are hosted by Black podcast hosts

Include Black stories and perspectives

Include unfiltered conversations that can’t be heard elsewhere


of Black monthly podcast listeners agree that they would listen to more podcasts if there were more podcasts with Black hosts

59%

When did you most recently listen to a podcast with Black hosts…?

Within the last week41%

Within the last month29%

Within the last six months

16%

More than six months ago8%

Never6%


You like listening to podcasts centered on people of color as it provides more unfiltered conversations that social media doesn’t allow

58

53

49

37

Perceptions that Black monthly podcast listeners have of podcasts% saying “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree”

You find it difficult to discover content about topics that are interesting to

you from Black voices because podcast platforms make it difficult

You prefer to listen to podcasts with Black hosts or hosts who are people of color

You wish there was more content around niche interests by and for Black voices


Monetization

If you heard an advertisement for a brand on a podcast with Black hosts, how likely would you be to…?

32

30

33

30

52

53

50

52

12

13

12

14

4

4

5

4

Consider the brand

Trust the brand

Purchase the brand

Very likelySomewhat

likelySomewhat

unlikelyVery

unlikely

Recommend the brand


50

49

45

32

29

In which of the following ways have you supported creators or hosts of the podcasts you listen to?% saying method

Following podcasts for free on a podcast service

(e.g. Pandora, Spotify)

Following the podcast, the host, or the creator

on social media

Watching live streamed events

Supporting other projects or endeavors (e.g. reading books

written by the creators or hosts)

Buying branded merchandise (e.g.,

shirts, posters)


Page 1 of 2

27

25

24

24

19

86

Sending donations or money through app (e.g. Venmo, Cash App)

In which of the following ways have you supported creators or hosts of the podcasts you listen to?% saying method


Page 2 of 2Subscribing to paid ad-free podcasts (e.g. on Apple Podcasts)

Buying from the advertisers they have on their podcasts

Attending in-person events hosted by the creator or hosts

Paying a monthly subscription on Patreon

Any of the above

Compared to other places, does hearing an advertisement on a podcast make you feel…?

40

38

43

49

43

40

42

21

44

46

44

29

38

47

47

67

16

22

16

22

19

13

12

13

Total

Women

Men

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+

More likely to purchase a product

Less likely to purchase a product

It does not have any effect


Compared to social media, does hearing an advertisement on a podcast make you feel…?

More likely to purchase a product

Less likely to purchase a product

It does not have any effect

37

36

40

39

40

42

41

20

46

48

43

33

41

48

47

69

17

16

18

29

19

11

13

11

Total

Women

Men

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+


Compared to ads on content from non-Black creators, would hearing an ad from a brand on content from Black creators make you more or less likely to…

34

34

32

30

54

54

55

56

12

12

13

14

Consider the brand

Purchase the brand

Spend more on a brand

More likely No effect Less likely

Recommend the brand

Base: U.S. Black Population

(U.S. Black Population)

Compared to ads on content from non-Black creators, would hearing an ad from a brand on content from Black creators make you more or less likely to…

44

44

43

40

45

45

46

47

11

11

11

13

Consider the brand

Purchase the brand

Spend more on a brand


More likely No effect Less likely

(Black Monthly Podcast Listeners)

Recommend the brand

Podcasting is increasingly diverse

Podcasts gives brands access to a highly valuable audience

Black voices matter

Black podcast advertisements work

the black podcast listener report 2021

Documents